


I'd Never Let Them Hurt You

by rudehao



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Dragon AU, M/M, Seventeen - Freeform, Xu Minghao - Freeform, but no magic i dont have time for that, chwe hansol - Freeform, dragons and stuff, mingsol, this is set in old magical times ya feel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-04-29 23:36:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14483697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudehao/pseuds/rudehao
Summary: Hansol had never met anyone like him before.He was the most interesting person Hansol had ever seen.Minghao had never met anyone like him before.He was the most beautiful creature Minghao had ever seen.





	1. Don't Worry, We're Friendly

**Author's Note:**

> In which Minghao is a protector of mythical creatures and Hansol falls in love with someone on a dangerous path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol finds something interesting deep in the woods that no one else dares to step foot in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might not find this important but I think it helps for visualizing :)
> 
> The looks and vibe for Hansol:  
> https://pin.it/ticrpts3rbosgn
> 
> The looks and vibe for Minghao:  
> https://pin.it/64nw26uhtl6awt

The heat from the sun was almost unbearable. Hansol was stuck working more hours than he usually did that day, and the marketplace wasn't as crowded as it normally is, meaning even less sales. Today has been way too slow. His family's profits were scarce, so what was the point of him being out here still if rush hour was over? Nobody needs vegetables for supper at supper time.

Why his parents think selling fresh crops to make money is a good idea, he has no idea. Sure, it worked fine in their previous hometown, but here, everyone grows their own food and has no need to waste money on something they already have. This village is boring and quiet, full of middle aged couples and the elderly. Hansol had only seen 2 other kids so far since they'd moved here 2 months ago. But they were young, much to young to be friends with. His sister was all he had, but she had found friends in those children, so he was again left alone.

Pitying himself seems to be his only hobby.

"Hansol!" One of the locals who he's gotten familiar with approaches. He's a drunk and doesn't have a home, so Hansol provides most of his meals with the food he doesn't sell (which is quite a bit). It's a secret from his parents, because if they knew he would be in deep trouble for it.

"Good afternoon, sir."

"Aren't you supposed to be home by now? I was nervous I missed out on getting anything today," He says as he takes the packaged food from Hansol.

"I was just about to leave. But I won't head home yet, maybe I'll go for a walk instead. I haven't explored the area yet."

"Oh, yes! The scenery is beautiful out in the hills," He slurs his words as he points in the distance towards the ocean that's a short walk away. No hills in that direction, but Hansol understands his effort. "But don't go into the woods. Never, ever, enter the woods." The man's expression has taken a dark turn, and this intrigues Hansol.

"What do you mean? What's in the woods?" He asks. His curiosity often gets the best of him, and now he wants to enter the forest and learn it's secrets.

"Terrible, terrible things. Creatures. Beasts." The man coughs. "You've been here for this long, but you haven't heard the tales? The horror that is beyond the bluff?"

"What could be so bad out there? I have been curious as to why nobody hunts there." The man grabs Hansol by the shoulder.

"Trust me, boy, I've seen them with my own eyes. Huge, areal creatures. Scaly and monstrous, burning their victims with their breath." Hansol wants to laugh, but he knew it would be rude to do so.

"So..." He says, hiding a stupid grin behind his hand. "Dragons?"

"Dragons." The man confirms. "You best be careful around those parts. They'll snatch you up and you'll never be found. There was once a boy who walked through this town once. He asked questions about the forest, and what lies inside. He was never seen again." Hansol listens while he gathers his things before closing the stand.

"Thanks for the warning, but I'll be fine. See you tomorrow!" He says while stepping backwards. The man stares at him. It's chilling how truthful the man sounded, but Hansol knows better than to trust a drunk man. Although, he couldn't smell a trace of alcohol off the man as he usually could...

He walks on the beach down by the seaside, sometimes picking up shells and pocketing them. His little sister loves to spend time at the beach, but she is often working in the fields at this time, so she never gets the chance to watch the sunset. He collects shells when he can for her.

He couldn't help but wonder what was going through the man's mind when he was telling Hansol his tale about the dragons. Was there really something out in the forest, or was it his intoxicated brain running wild? But it does seem odd that he's never once seen a person walk into those woods, or hear any stories from it either. Maybe there really is something out there....

Hansol lets his curiosity get the best of him once again. He leaves the beach, walks the road and enters the forest. He thought it would be quiet and serene. Serene, yes, quiet, not really. There were birds chirping and the sound of leaves rustling and water flowing from the river. The light from the sunset shone through the breaks in between trees. Hansol walked deeper. The path hadn't been used in what seemed to be a long time. There were fresh stems of shrubs growing over it, and his foot almost got caught one too many times. He began to whistle, providing the wood with more noise.

But that's when it suddenly became quiet. The birds stopped, and the only noise was the faint sound of the water Hansol had walked past, and the wind picking up, causing the trees to shake. There's a sudden whooshing sound above him, but it's gone before he looks up. His heart begins to race, and his brain is telling him to get the heck out of there, but his legs don't move. He's frozen until there's a large sound, a screeching roar. 

That's when he runs. Like the idiot he is, he runs forwards, further away from the town. He runs until his legs start to ache and his lungs burn, but he doesn't stop. Nothing would stop him until he was out of this forest.

Seeing a clearing up ahead, he beelines forwards and stumbles out of the trees and bushes, onto his knees on dirt and rock. What he's stumbled upon isn't a clearing, but the edge of a cliff. Down below is a small lake, much to far for him to jump towards, though. He closes his eyes and tries to catch his breath, when he hears the screech again. He looks up just in time to see something soar upwards in front of him. Something huge. His eyes follow the beast as it shoots into the air. There, many feet above him in the clear blue sky, sun reflecting off of the scales is a large green dragon.

"Holy sh-" Hansol can't finish his sentence because the dragon has circled back and is approaching him quickly. He jumps back.

But the creature stops before the cliff and flaps it's wings in place. It stares at Hansol, beady eyes looking deep into his own. 

"Are you okay?" A sudden voice says. Hansol can't see where it's coming from. Wait... did... the dragon say that?

"Did-" He almost can't get the words out of his mouth. "Did you just speak?" 

"Of course I did. Is there a reason I couldn't?" Hansol's brain tries to process what was happening as the dragon set foot down before Hansol on the cliff edge. When it did, Hansol finally saw who was talking and felt like an idiot for assuming it was the dragon. There was someone riding it, and he had now jumped off. "I'll ask it again. Are you okay? We didn't mean to startle you." He took a step forwards, and Hansol backs up until he's pinned against a tree. " Don't worry, we're friendly. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Uh... Yeah. Okay." Hansol replies. The kid couldn't be much older than himself. He was lean and skinny, hair dark and running a bit long down his neck. He spoke strangely, as though he doesn't know the language well. "Am I dreaming? I must be, right? This..." He waves his hand at the huge beast before him. "This isn't real." The boy just chuckles and strokes the creatures neck.

"You've let fairy tales deceive you, I see. She is real. And so am I. Why have you wandered out here? No human has step foot in these woods in years. Are you lost?"

"N-No, I'm not lost. I was on my way home. I'll be going now..." He stood up slowly and began to take steps backwards, back into the forest.

"You can't go back in there now. It's nighttime, you won't make it back alive. Come with me." Hansol gulps. He won't make it back alive. What is that supposed to mean?

"I'll be perfectly fine. Good night to you." And with that, he turns and sprints back into the woods, as far away from that beast and mysterious kid as he can. He trips and falls down multiple times but he doesn't stop, much like when he was running from the terrifying sound before.

The last time he falls is when a branch catches his foot and Hansol can't get it unstuck. He pulls hard but it won't move. The pain from tugging his leg distracts him from the sound of something stepping towards him. His foot unhooks, but the sudden growl halts him from standing up again. Slowly, he raises his head to make eye contact with a wolf only a few feet away from him. So this is what that boy meant. 

This is where he could die.

The wolf steps forward. It's eyes shine in the moonlight. It's tongue slides across his bared teeth. Hansol's heart races. He closes his eyes and braces for the worst, when there's a swooping noise and a whelp. He doesn't want to open his eyes to see what has attacked the wolf.

"Are you kidding me? I told you it wasn't safe." Hansol whips his head towards the voice. It's the same boy from before, hovering in the air on the green dragon once again. The wolf lie unconscious on the ground nearby.

"Y-You. You saved me." He breathed out, watching as the dragon struggled to land in the tight space in between trees.

"Of course I did." The boy leaped off the dragon's neck and offered his hand to Hansol. He took it this time. He saved him. "I don't like death. Especially that of stupid people who don't listen to what I say. Come on. We're going back to my home for the night. There's no way you'll make it back to the village. Don't be an idiot this time."

"I'm not getting on that thing." Hansol protests when the boy motions for him to get on the dragon with him. 

"1. She's not a 'thing'. She's a living and breathing creature, just like you and I. 2. Unless you want to die, you're getting on her with me." Hansol approaches the green creature with caution. 'She' watches him with a beady eye while he steps slowly. When he's reached where the other boy is, he takes the hand offered and lifts himself up.

"This is terrifying." He whispers to himself, hoping the boy doesn't hear.

"Hold on to me tightly, or you'll fall to your death."

"For someone who doesn't like death, you mention it a lot."

"Being aware is better than being dead."

"Good point." Hansol awkwardly wraps his arms around the boy's waist and holds tight while the dragon begins to rise into the air. The flapping of her wings blows the trees' branches in spirals, some thin ones breaking off completely. Hansol closes his eyes and decides he'll try and wait it out. His heart is beating so fast he's surprised it hasn't burst his rib cage.

The flight it way too long. It doesn't seem to end. Maybe the boy was lying. Maybe he's going to take him to his death anyway. 

"Stop breathing so hard, I can feel it on my neck. Ba is lowering us now, you can calm down." The boy's words are reassuring, so he opens his eyes and slows his breathing. The dragon sets her feet down on the stone and lays flat on her belly. The boy jumps off first, then raises a hand to assist Hansol. "Welcome to my habitat. This is my area," He gestures to the hole of a cave carved through the small mountainside. There's a lake right in front of it, where a waterfall flows nearby. "The dragons live over there," He points towards a path through some trees to what looks like an even larger mountainside cave. This... this doesn't feel real. "If you're really uncomfortable with the dragons, you don't have to see them."

"Wait... you have more than just this one?" He asks in awe. The dragon snuffs and stands back on her feet. The boy says something in a language Hansol doesn't understand, and the dragon flies up and over the patch of trees between the caves.

"I don't 'have' any. I take care and protect them, but they're free to do whatever they please. They prefer to stay around me, though. I'm the only human they've trusted."

"Why's that?"

"Why do you think?" Hansol recalls back to when he first encountered the dragon. He was terrified. He wanted it to leave. What do humans do when they are scared and want something to go away?

They kill it.

"Oh." He says. "What did you say to that green one? I didn't understand it."

"I would be surprised if you did. I told her to return to the others. And she isn't called 'that green one'. Her name is Ba."

"Ba..." Hansol repeats. "What does it mean?"

"Eight. The number. That's how old I was when I met her. She was the first one I'd ever encountered. We were both so small, and we grew together. She's much larger than me, though."

"How long ago was that?" His questions keep coming, and he can't stop from asking.

"Nine years." Nine years. This boy was one year older than Hansol himself. Nine years ago, Hansol would have been seven.

"Who are you?" Hansol asks, curious about the boy's story. 

"I have an even better question." He smirks, "Who are you? You show up in my forest, the first person I've seen in years. You see people everyday. I can assure you, I'm just as curious as you are." He walks into the cave, motioning Hansol to follow. "At least tell me your name."

"Hansol."

"Hello, Hansol. I'm Minghao."


	2. There's Nothing Terrifying About Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol wants to find out more about this mysterious boy from the woods

"Minghao." Hansol repeats. His name is foreign and... beautiful. It definitely isn't native to this region... where could he be from? He wants to ask about the boy's past, but he isn't sure if it's his place to do so.

"I know what you're thinking, or, at least I can guess." Minghao raises an eyebrow while Hansol stares, waiting for him to elaborate. "My name sounds weird, and you're wondering how I ended up living in the forest with a bunch of dragons."

"Precisely."

"Well, it's a long story..."

"I have time." Of course he does, he's practically being forced to stay with this kid for the night until he can return home.

"I know you do, but I have some things I need to accomplish before it gets too late." Minghao stands up and walks over to a corner of the cave where he has wooden crates full of fruits and vegetables.

"You won't even tell me a little bit?" Hansol asks, only to receive a shake of the head in return.

"I either tell you all at once or not at all. Besides, I barely know if you're trustworthy. You learning my name? Lucky. If you weren't so cute I would have let you get mauled by the wolves." He smirks at the way Hansol's breath hitches. "For all I know, you could return to your village, blabber about me and my family and have a search party sent out here to kill us."

"Your family?"

"These creatures. They've helped raise me, and I've done the same for theme. Family."

"I would never expose you like that."

"Good. You are worthy to know me, then." With that, Minghao tosses Hansol an apple from the crate, which he almost drops from surprise. "Your dinner. I'll be out for a while, unless..." He pauses before leaving the cave. "Do you want to come help me? With them?"

"Them?" Hansol almost stops breathing. He assumes Minghao is talking about the dragons. "No. No no no. You can go have fun." Minghao grins loosely.

"Okay. I won't force you to do anything. Feel free to sleep. I'll be back, don't set my home on fire." He says it more as a joke than an order, but it still makes Hansol feel embarrassed, like he would manage to do that somehow. Minghao has a way of making Hansol nervous, but it isn't a bad feeling. It's exhilarating.

What's he thinking? He's known this stranger for almost an hour, but he's also saved Hansol's life. Too many thoughts are swimming through his head. What are his parents thinking right now, about why he isn't home yet and won't be returning until that morning?

Hansol can't help but wonder what Minghao is up to out there. He can't help but wonder about his past. He notices that beside what he assumes is Minghao's bed, is a stack of books, some older looking than others. The ones at the bottom were torn in places and the pages were bent and sticking out, while the one on the top of the pile was fresh and new. He was tempted to open and read through them. Maybe he'd learn about Minghao without having to ask him.

He took a seat on the blankets that were the boy's bed and carefully lifted the book on the top of the stack. There was a leaf in place of a bookmark. Hansol flipped to that page, curious of the importance if the leaf was holding it. The first page was written on, but the second wasn't. He looked at the characters on the page. It wasn't any language Hansol could recognize. He assumed it was the same as the foreign words Minghao had spoken to the dragon earlier. He kept asking the same thing. Where was he from?

He flipped through the previous pages, but doesn't find anything different. There are some sketches, mostly of dragons and scenery. He moves on to the next book. The first page has a drawing in extreme detail. A woman with a warm smile. It wasn't special in any way other than it's true beauty. Is this someone Minghao knows? Who is she to him? He leaves that book open to that page and scours through the rest.

Meaningless characters, beautiful sketches. When he reaches the bottom of the pages, he finds that the pages are written half in the unfamiliar language, and the other in his own. Simple words and sentences, almost like practice. Some of the same words are repeated, the letters becoming more defined and natural as they repeat.

_Hello. Hello. My name is Minghao. My name is Minghao. Who are you? Where are you from? I am from-_

Hansol stops reading when a voice surprises him.

"I understand your curiosity, but don't you think it's rude to snoop?" Minghao has returned. Hansol snaps the book shut and stands up.

"I-I'm sorry."

"It's good you don't understand what it says. If you did, you would know everything about myself."

"What do you have against me knowing you?" Minghao snatches the book out of his hands and starts to put the stack back in order. He looks at the picture of the woman Hansol left open, then closes it softly.

"No sense in you getting to know me, and vice versa. Once it's dawn, I'll deliver you to the edge of the woods and we'll never see each other again. Relationships are useless things." Hansol felt a pang of disappointment when Minghao said that.

"But-"

"Please, go to sleep. And don't rummage through my things again." He pushes past Hansol and lies down on his bed, face turned towards the cavern wall.

"I'm sorry. I truly am."

"Stop apologizing and leave me alone."

Hansol shuts up and walks quietly to the opening of the cavern. He sits by the edge and looks at Minghao. Why the kid is so secretive and secluded, he can't figure out. Doesn't he get lonely?

Why did his personality change so suddenly? At first he was mysterious and smooth, but now he's acting rash. Hansol leans his head back onto the wall of the cavern and sighs softly. Minghao is never going to tell him anything, now. He closes his eyes and lets the darkness take him.

~ 

"Wake up. Let's go." Hansol is shaken out of his slumber. Minghao stands above him, eyes swollen and face groggy. 

"Already?" 

"Yes." He replied bluntly, leading Hansol to understand that the boy still held a grudge. He was hesitant to follow Minghao through the passage to the dragons' habitat, but he was sure the mysterious kid wouldn't like to deal with him being a coward right now. The layout of the dragons' home was similar to that of Minghao's, but there were two caves instead of one. Hansol couldn't see too far into them, but in the door of the cavern sat a wall of white scales, shining in the morning sunlight. It was so large that Hansol was taken aback, walking cautiously around the entrance to the cave. Minghao passed the first cavern and walked into the second. He strokes the neck of a blue dragon, slightly smaller than the green one was. The green one. Ba. The dragon wakes and crawls outside, stretching itself out after confining itself in that space. 

"What's this one's name?" Hansol asks innocently, forgetting Minghao's anger with him.

"Tian." 

"Meaning?" 

"Sky." 

"How many dragons do you have?" Minghao sighs at Hansol's question. 

"Once again: I don't 'have' any. They're my friends. How many live here? 5." He says something to Tian in his language, then climbs on it's back. "She's ready. Do you want to go home or not?" Hansol thought about that question, unsure if he wanted to return or not. Deciding to get on the back of the dragon and make up his mind on the way, he climbs on behind Minghao and holds tight on the boy's waist. Tian flies much faster than Ba. He isn't sure if it's because he has his eyes open this time, but it feels different. It's horrifying, but freeing. 

"It's terrifying!" Hansol says under his breath, contradicting his thoughts out loud. 

"What is?" Minghao asks. 

"Flying! Riding this creature! Being within 5 meters of this creature! Terrifying!" 

"There's nothing terrifying about them. They're beautiful." Hansol shuts up when he hears the way Minghao speaks about the dragons. He's passionate, and Hansol can tell he's smiling. 

"You really love them, don't you?" 

"Wouldn't you?" He replies easily. Hansol is at a loss for words. He's quiet as they fly over the woods. 

"Aren't you worried that you'll be spotted?" He asks when he sees the village in the distance. 

"No. Tian tends to blend into the sky well. Her colour is identical to that of the blue sky. If we're noticed in any way, people usually pass us off as a gust of wind that's blown past them. I guess, that's what we really are, in a sense." Hansol nods, understanding now why he took out a different dragon for this flight. Minghao has loosened on his tone towards Hansol, which made the trip more comfortable.

Tian landed on the far side of the beach, out of sight from the village. Minghao didn't say anything, and just waited until Hansol dismounted.

"Wait-" Hansol called when the two were about to return to the sky. "I really am sorry. About last night." The boy's expression is blank.

Minghao waits a few moments before answering. "I know."

Hansol isn't sure if he should ask the question on his mind. It could go two ways, acceptance or rejection, and he doesn't want to face the latter. But he asks anyway. "Can I come see you again?" Minghao frowns.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Just don't." And with that, the mysterious boy and his dragon launch into the air and disappear into the blue morning sky. He was right, Tian does blend in well. Hansol walked home with two things running through his mind. How he was going to return to Minghao, and what his parents' reaction would be to him returning late.

His mother was working in the fields already, despite it being the early hours of the morning. He decided facing the problem head-on was probably the best idea.

"Hey, Mom-"

"Oh, what are you doing awake so early? I guess it makes sense, you slept so early last night." She said, not looking up from her business with the plants. Hansol stood in confusion, wondering how she didn't notice he hadn't returned last night. He left her be and returned to the house. His father was still asleep, but as soon as he opened the door to the house his sister was standing there.

'Where have you been?" Hansol sighed in relief at her question.

"At least you noticed I'd left. I thought nobody cared for me anymore."

"I covered for you and said you got home early, so you slept. I guess neither of them bothered to check. Anyway, where were you?" Hansol scratched the back of his neck.

"Thanks for-"

"Don't change the subject." 

"Fine. I got lost in the forest last night and slept at someone's home who lived there." He could tell she was holding back her laughter.

"You got lost? Really?"

"It's scary out there! Have you heard the legends of those woods?" Her face fell.

"You were in that forest? Are you an idiot? What kind of death wish do you have?" She hit him on the shoulder over and over until Hansol finally grabbed her hand to stop her.

"It's okay. I was fine. Don't worry about it. Now if you don't might, I'm going to sleep." He handed her the shells he'd collected on the beach before he'd set on his adventure, then went to his bedroom and fell asleep easily, now that he was on a bed and not rock.

He fell asleep with one clear goal. Return to Minghao.


	3. What on Earth Were You Thinking?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol finds Minghao again, and the reunion is anything but spectacular

Many days passed before Hansol was able to leave the village again.

He'd tried to find ways to leave, but his sister seemed very interested in his actions lately, so she's been following him around as if she had nothing better to do. She claimed to their parents that she was interested in selling in the market as well, so they let her do whatever she pleased.

It was extremely annoying, to say the least.

But there was that one faithful day where their mother had asked her to stay behind and work in the fields, giving Hansol the freedom the sneak away again. After his hours spent at the market were over, he packed up quickly and began to make his way over to the path that leads to the woods. As he walked through the forest, he found one of the other kids that lived in the village. His home was over some of the hills, but he still came here everyday to sell, just like Hansol did. They weren't close, but were acquainted enough to call each other friends.

"Seungkwan," He greeted the boy who was packing up as well. "I need a favour out of you."

"What kind of favour? Don't make me do anything bad, please." Hansol chuckled and rested his arm on the other's shoulder. 

"Do I look like that kind of person to you? All I need you to do is cover for me. I'm leaving for the night, and I need to lie and say I've spent it at your house. Like friends do, you know?"

"Where are you going?"

"That's confidential."

Seungkwan scoffs. "My god, Hansol, stop being so dramatic. I've got you covered, don't worry."

"I owe you." Hansol says as he starts to walk away.

"Whatever, man. Don't get hurt!" Seungkwan calls as they separate. Hansol never really got to see Seungkwan often, but he really does think of him as his closest friend. His only friend? If Minghao doesn't forgive him, then yes. His only friend.

As he walked along the path, making sure he wasn't being followed, he noticed how dark the sky had become. The chance of rain was high, and Hansol wasn't sure if he should turn back or not. But he was so determined to find Minghao again, his feet carried him forward. He didn't know what this feeling was, but whenever he thought of Minghao, his heart started racing. He wants to hear his voice again. It was so smooth, and the way he would speak in full sentences was so charming. It was as if he was planning them out before saying them. He always had something to respond with. He was lanky but so strong... and fearless.

Perhaps something so little as a crush could not describe how Hansol felt towards the mysterious boy in the forest. 

He continued to follow the path through the woods. He'd felt a few drops fall from the sky but decided to ignore them. Maybe it was just a little sprinkle, and nothing severe.

His hopes were disappointingly contradicted. It started to rain harder and harder, but Hansol persisted until he reached where he'd first encountered Minghao and his green dragon, Ba. Peering through the rain, he saw a spot in the distance that looked similar to where Minghao and the dragons lived. Taking his chances, he started towards it. He was walking along a cliff, where Minghao's home had been in a small valley. How he was going to get back down there? He'd cross that bridge when he got there.

That bridge came sooner than he'd anticipated. Suddenly he looked down and there it was: Minghao's cavern. He peered over the trees and saw the dragon's cave. His breath hitched when he saw one emerge from the cave. It was smaller than Ba, but just as intimidating. It was grey, and as it flew into the air it disappeared into the background of grey clouds. 

How was he supposed to get down there? Looking around, Hansol couldn't see any way to climb down. The only way was a stupid plan he had skimmed over quickly. Jumping from the height he was at now into the water below. The waterfall was at his feet, and it didn't look too far.

Before he knew it, his eager brain pushed him forward and he was falling through the air. He was right, it wasn't that far down, but the impact was unexpected and almost not worth it. The water was cold. Way too cold to be refreshing, especially on a day where it was pouring rain.

He broke the surface, gasping for air as he didn't fully inhale before he made contact with the water. There was a noise that was louder than the rain pounding on the ground. A voice. A voice Hansol had grown himself all too familiar with. The only bad news was Minghao was shouting at him in that foreign language of his. That made him feel uncomfortable. If you're going to scold someone, do it in their language so they can at least understand what they did wrong.

"Mi-Minghao!" He stammers through the boy's name, his teeth chattering, barely resisting the urge to stop swimming and sink. 

"What are you doing? Come on-Get out of there!" Minghao speaks normally this time, grabbing Hansol by the forearms and pulling him onto the earth. The older boy drags Hansol into his cavern.

"I'm glad to see you again." Hansol says in between sharp breaths. 

"The feeling is not mutual." Minghao says gruffly, making Hansol disappointed. Minghao hands him a towel and puts a pot over a fire that's crackling near the entrance to the home. "I'm making you tea, but only so you warm up and do not get sick, so you can leave sooner. What on earth were you thinking? Have you not seen the weather? Jumping into cold water? I swear you don't use your head..." He mutters something Hansol can't understand.

"What was that?" He asks, taking a seat by the fire and wrapping himself in the blanket Minghao had just tossed to him.

"What?"

"What did you say? What is that language you speak in?" Minghao pauses while he's rummaging through sacks and crates, looking for tea. 

"That's none of your concern." He replies after a few moments.

"Come on! I came all the way out here in the pouring rain, just to see you. You don't think I'm the slightest bit trustworthy?" Hansol looks at the boy. He's staring blankly at the cavern wall.

Silence follows Hansol's question. He's almost sure he's messed up again, when Minghao finally says something. His tone isn't rash and blunt like before. It's sincere. And.... scared.

"The last time I let people into my life... I lost them. I've lost too many that I've loved and cared for. If I let someone else in..." He turns his head to the side so he can eye Hansol. "They could hurt me, or more importantly, hurt the creatures."

"I would never do that!"

"How do I know that, Hansol?" Minghao stands up. He doesn't seem angry. His voice is cold.

"I'll prove myself. I'll show you I can care for you and care for the creatures." The foreign boy bends down near the fire and starts making the tea. He's lost in contemplation, eyebrows furrowed together. After some time passes, Minghao looks Hansol in the eyes. The villager's breath hitches as he suddenly realizes how truly breathtaking Minghao is.

"You will prove yourself to me?" He asks under his breath.

"Yes."

Silence once again. Minghao shifts on the floor, looking out into the dreary weather.

"Chinese." He says so softly and out of the blue, Hansol almost misses it.

"Wha-What?"

"Chinese. That is what I speak. I am originally from China. That's why my name is unfamiliar sounding to you. That's why I speak differently." Minghao doesn't look at him as he says this, but Hansol can hear the nervousness in his voice.

"That's amazing How did you end up here? China is so far away..."

"Something happened. Something bad. It was my fault. I could not stay there, so Ba and I escaped. She was big enough to fly with my on her back." He said the words with grief and sadness, but Hansol didn't push for more details. Minghao was just starting to let him in, he didn't want to ruin it.

"You were 8 years old?"

"You remembered." He says this less as a question and more of an acknowledgement.

"Of course. You're the only thing I've thought about since I was last year." That sounded cheesy and romantic. "I- I mean... you're stories were too interesting I couldn't get them out of my head." Minghao chuckles and turns to look at Hansol. 

"I've thought of you too. You're very curious, aren't you?"

"I've been told so."

"It's evident." Hansol isn't sure whether he should take it as a compliment or not. He only nods in response. Changing the subject, he asks about a subject that isn't too personal.

"How did you learn our language? Especially if you lived alone. You speak in Chinese to the dragons, yes?"

"I do. They understand that, but not your language, for reasons unknown. I've learned it through eavesdropping and reading. I wasn't always alone, but I decided early on that it was the best idea." Hansol nods again in response. Minghao sure does know how to find the negative side of things.

"Who was that woman in your drawings?"

Minghao waits to respond. "You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm sorry. I'll stop invading your privacy."

The pair sit in comfortable silence. The rain begins to slow down until it's only lightly coming down. Hansol sips his tea. He's content. Minghao doesn't totally hate him anymore, and that's good. That's fine for now, but the feelings that Hansol has? They won't go away. Being acquaintances won't satisfy him. He catches himself watching Minghao multiple times, each time tearing his eyes away because he was afraid of being caught.

"Do you have a family, Hansol?" Minghao asks quietly.

"I do."

"Do you love them?"

"I do." He doesn't hesitate to say it. He really does love his family, despite the usual teenage anger he has felt towards them, like ripping him away from his old life to move their family into the country, and not paying attention to him so much as they didn't realize he hadn't returned home. "Have you ever loved someone that wasn't your family? Or the dragons?"

The foreign boy hesitates before answering. "I have. A long time ago. But he was like family to me."

"It wasn't romantic?" He sounds stupid asking it, but he can't conceal his curiosity. He needs to know if he should be jealous or not.

"Of course not, we were 9 years old. We didn't know how that kind of love worked yet." His words are bitter but they sound calm.

"Oh. I see..." He tries to hold back what he wants to say next, but eventually the words come out. "Have you ever thought about that kind of love? Have you ever wanted it?"

"No."

Disappointed, Hansol finishes his tea instead of asking more questions.

"Tomorrow," Minghao begins as if the previous conversation didn't happen, "You will accompany me with the dragons. To prove yourself." Hansol is taken aback. His stomach drops. Minghao is trusting him.

"O-Okay."

~

Hansol was questioning whether he should back out or not. He'd have to make a decision now, because in a few moments he would be in the home of the dragons, with no escape. 

And then it was too late. He followed Minghao to the cavern where he could see different colours shining in the morning sun. 

"You can wait out here. I'll be back in a moment." Minghao went into the cave and Hansol almost lost sight of him, it was so dark inside. Seconds later he returned with a red dragon on his shoulder. Minghao doesn't seem bothered by it, and is stroking the creature's neck. The red dragon was much, much smaller than the others, a bit larger than the size of a normal dog.

"Why is he so small?" Hansol asks, feeling relieved that the dragon they're with isn't huge and intimidating.

"He's a smaller breed, but he's still only a child. I've estimated around 4 years old. He'll grow to be the size of a bear, most likely." Minghao detaches the dragon from his shoulder. He takes flight and starts flying circles above Minghao's head.

"Four years?" Hansol asks in wonder, "When did you find him?"

"I found him right after he'd hatched. I assumed his mother had..." He paused before choosing the right words, "... left, so I took him into my care. But the eldest of the resident creatures here has raised him." The dragon lands on Minghao's head and lets out a cry. He looks as if he's smiling. Minghao says something to him and strokes his snout.

"What's his name?"

"Long." Hansol waits for the boy to translate, and it takes a few moments for Minghao to understand what the other is waiting for. "Oh- Dragon."

"His name is just 'Dragon'? Don't you name them cool things?"

"Long has nothing special about him. He's just a dragon. But he does look like a fairytale's interpretation of a dragon, no? I want him to be the image when I think of the word 'dragon'." Minghao explains thoroughly, but Hansol still has trouble understanding.

"What's so special about the other dragons that they get different names?" Hansol follows Minghao as the older boy begins to do his work. He sweeps waste off the platform while answering Hansol's question.

"Ba was the first dragon and first friend I ever made. I was eight years old, so his name is 'Eight'. It also happens to be my favourite number." He walks over to the stream that runs into the dragons' habitat and begins to wash his hands. "Tian, which is the blue one you and I rode on when we delivered you home, is the same colour as the blue sky. Thus, her name is 'Sky'. Feng, means 'Wind.' She is the fastest of them all and is basically a force of wind."

"Is she the grey one? I saw her fly into the air yesterday. She disappeared into the clouds." Minghao nods.

"Yes, she goes out when it's cloudy so she isn't seen. That is indeed Feng." The pair disappear into the trees and Hansol watches as Minghao rearms traps and takes out dead animals that he's caught.

"I thought you didn't like death." Hansol says, meaning to ask it as a question but instead commenting on it.

"I don't, but you do what you must to survive. And I mostly give meat to the dragons." They return to the platform and Hansol freezes. Crawling out of the cave is what he assumes is the last dragon. She's the largest creature Hansol has ever seen. If he thought Ba was big, this dragon 2 times the size of Ba was giving him a heart attack.

"And that," Minghao smiles at the creature as she stretches our her wings. "Is Mei. She's the oldest, and acts as a mother to the younger, myself included. I met her 5 years ago, and she's protected me from all harm." He shouts something in Chinese to her, and she crouches down so Minghao can pet her. Her eye is as big as Hansol's head, but despite her size, he doesn't feel scared.

"She's beautiful." He mutters, taking a step closer.

"I'm glad you think so. That is her namesake." He notices Hansol getting closer, and whispers to Mei. 

"What did you say to her?"

"That you aren't a threat. I can see it in her eyes, she's being cautious. You need to let her know you aren't dangerous." Hansol stands there, wearing his iconic puzzled look.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Rest your forehead on hers, like this." Minghao demonstrated by tilting his head down and leaning his forehead on Mei's. "She'll decide if you're trustworthy. You'll do this with all of the dragons, but it's best to start with her." He motioned for Hansol to take his place.

"B-But... what if she doesn't approve of me?" He stammers, unsure whether this was a good idea or not after all.

"Don't worry," Minghao took Hansol's hand, making the younger's cheeks turn red. "I'd never let them hurt you." Minghao pulls Hansol towards Mei, then places his hand on her scales. She watches him closely, like he'd suddenly do something wrong. He slowly rested his forehead on her, like he had been instructed to. Her scales were surprisingly cold (he thought they would be warmer in the sunlight).

He wasn't sure how long he had to stand there, but he wasn't going to take his chances and step back, so he waited. And waited. It felt like hours (it was only 5 minutes).

Suddenly, the gentle giant pulled her head back and gave a look to Minghao. The foreign boy smiled, then looked at Hansol.

"You are accepted. Let's introduce you to the others. If Mei deems you worthy, then you truly are." 

Hansol was surprised by how much Minghao changed as he continued to introduce himself to the dragons. He loosed up, and Hansol felt like he was finally getting closer to the mystery of the boy in the woods. He didn't think it had gone to far yet, but Minghao asked him if he'd like to stay for awhile. It was a weekend, so if Hansol returned home and claimed he was with Seungkwan, he wouldn't be second guessed. He agreed, excited to spend more time with Minghao.

~

The evening of the day later, the pair were lying on a grassy patch that overlooked the hills and mountains. The village was in the distance, but too far away for Hansol to give any care. Spending time with Minghao and the dragons made him feel alive. He'd befriended Long, the youngest of the bunch, quite easily, as they were both curious and overexcited at times.

Tian had flown them up here, but was now soaring through the sky, somehow still blending in while the sun was setting. Hansol was enjoying the comfortable silence until Minghao decided to fill it.

"I want to tell you. About me." He says. Hansol sits up fast, eyes wide.

"I thought you were never going to tell me about yourself. I assumed you would keep quiet after you said a bit yesterday." He admits. He wants Minghao to be comfortable, but at the same time he's all too curious. Minghao joins him sitting up and smiles sincerely at Hansol. They're close. Close enough that Hansol can see the little marks and scars on Minghao's face he hasn't noticed before.

"I want to tell you about me because I want to know about you."

"Oh..."

"What were those questions you had for me? I want to answer them." Hansol almost can't breathe for two reasons: 1. their close proximity and 2. he's in shock.

"I-I wanted to know why you came here. And who that woman was... in your drawings." Minghao smiles a sad smile and nods. "You don't have to tell me!" He protests, but Minghao starts anyway.

"I was 8 years old when I met Ba and we escaped China. I was also 8 years old when my mother was killed for working for a black market that bred and traded dragons. Ba was her own, and I didn't know she existed until my mother stumbled into our home with a knife in her stomach and a key to the room I was never allowed inside previously. I took Ba and escaped. She ordered us too. Seeing the person I most love and adore die was not something I wanted to do." Minghao said this all in a low voice, as if speaking of it was taboo. Hansol nodded as he understood.

"It's why you don't like death." He said.

"Yeah."

"And that woman in your drawings was your mother?" Minghao nodded. "She was very beautiful."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Minghao looked at the mountains before them and sighed. "She was the first person I lost. The second was the boy I mentioned yesterday. He was like a brother to me. Mingyu. I lived with him and his family for a few months when I first arrived in this country. They would never be my mother, but they were a good family. The two of us would run out to the forest where I hid Ba and play with her until dark. But one day Mingyu went out on his own and didn't return. I found him dead at the foot of a tree. We assume he fell while climbing to visit Ba. I ran away a week later."

"Minghao..."

"You asked, I answered. Do not give me sympathy." He mutter sharply. 

"I wasn't going to. I was going to say that you're the strongest person I've ever met. The most courageous, beautiful and mysterious person in the world." Hansol cringed at his words but he stood by them. They were true. 

"Oh. Thank you." Minghao smiles, and this time it isn't sad. It's soft, like he knows Hansol means well but doesn't want to believe it.

Hansol takes a risk and inches closer to Minghao. The older doesn't stop him, but he sits there puzzled. Hansol stops as their noses are brushed against each other.

"What are you doing?" Minghao says under his breath.

"I want to kiss you."

"Kiss..." He pauses and takes a short breath, "Like... like lovers do?"

"Yes. Are you okay with that?"

"I don't know."

"Can we try it?"

"Okay."

Hansol takes that moment and lightly presses his lips against Minghao's. The younger is trembling and hoping Minghao cannot tell how nervous he is. When they pull away, he can see the tints of blush across Minghao's cheeks in the setting sunlight. They both look down and away from each other. Minghao runs a hand through his hair.

"How was that?" Hansol asks, anticipating his response.

"I... I don't know. I don't know how being lovers works. Can I... think about it?" Hansol hides his disappointment and nods.

"Of course."

"Okay. Can you tell me about you now?"

"Sure."

And so he does.

**Author's Note:**

> hi! thanks for reading! if you have any questions or just want to hmu  
> twt: @rudeha_o  
> ig: @rudehao


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